This invention relates generally to shoe racks used for the storage of shoes and more particularly to wooden shoe racks having special joints between the different components which are constructed to facilitate assembly by consumers.
Various types of shoe racks have been developed in order to accommodate the organized storage of shoes. The shoe racks that have been used include both self-standing units that are supported on the floor and hanging units that hang on doors or other vertical surfaces. Typically, shoe racks of this type are provided with multiple tiers in order to enhance the storage capacity.
Various materials have been used to construct shoe racks, and plastic has been especially popular. Plastic has advantages in several respects, most notably because it is light in weight, inexpensive and easy to handle and package. Wood has the advantage of being generally more aesthetically appealing and is generally considered to be more upscale than plastic.
However, wooden shoe racks are problematic in several respects. First of all, this type of shoe rack is typically a consumer product that is sold mainly in retail stores. Therefore, the shoe rack must be packaged in a disassembled state with the packaged product being as compact as possible. Long pieces of framework and the like are precluded due to the need for compact packaging. Further, the parts must be easily assembled by average consumers. Complicated joints between the different parts are thus unacceptable, as are glue joints and any type of complex fastening system. At the same time, the joints between the parts must be fastened securely in order to adequately hold the unit together, particularly when it is subjected to forces such as those that occur on a door mounted unit when the door is swung open or closed. For economic reasons, the number of different parts should be minimized so that the tooling used for construction of the parts can be as inexpensive as possible.
The present invention has, as its principal goal, the provision of a shoe rack that is constructed of wood and equipped with specially formed joints which allow for quick and simple assembly of the different parts.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a wooden shoe rack having special joints between the parts that allow a single fastener to connect the frame sides, support arms and cross bars at each joint in a single fastening operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe rack of the character described wherein the joints do not detract from the aesthetics of the unit.
A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe rack of the character described in which the parts can be quickly and easily assembled without the need for special tools or mechanical skills.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a shoe rack of the character described which has a secure yet easily applied fastening system.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a shoe rack of the character described in which the number of different components is minimized.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a shoe rack of the character described which can be constructed either as a self-standing unit or as a hanging unit that can be applied to a door or other vertical surface.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a shoe rack of the character described that is constructed in a manner allowing it to be packaged compactly without unduly long pieces.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by providing a wooden shoe rack having frame sides, support arms and cross bars, all of which may be constructed of wood. The frame sides have dado grooves for receiving tongues of the support arms at joints to which the ends of the bars are also connected. A single mechanical fastener such as a screw is used at each joint to connect the frame, arm and bar together.
In the case of a hanging shoe rack, each frame side can include upper and lower legs connected end to end at a special joint. The support arm which is fastened at this joint includes an inner end portion that acts against the door or other surface to provide a standoff spacing the frame away from the door. Special upper and lower arms provide additional standoffs at the top and bottom ends of the frame. Spacing the frame away from the door has advantages in several respects, including helping to maintain the shoes on the rack, providing clearance of the doorknob, and preventing the shoes from marring the door surface.
In the case of a self-standing shoe rack, each frame side includes a pair of legs that are connected at the bottom by a foot piece and at the top by a rigid brace. Special dado joints are located at each connection between the legs and the feet and braces, with cross bars also connected at these joints by a single fastener.